


Where’s your mummy?

by Robronfan94



Category: Ballum, EastEnders
Genre: Callum and Lexi bonding, Callum’s childhood, F/F, F/M, Supportive Ben, upset callum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:40:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21683116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Robronfan94/pseuds/Robronfan94
Summary: “Callum?” Lexi little voice asked “Yeah princess?” Callum said looking at her with so much love and admiration. “Where’s your mummy?”Or the one where Lexi wants to know where Callum’s mum is and why she isn’t in his life. How does Callum even begin to explain that?
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway & Lexi Mitchell, Callum "Halfway" Highway & Stuart Highway, Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 2
Kudos: 49





	Where’s your mummy?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thought I’d try my hand at another Ballum story. The inspiration from this was from the episode where Ben and Lexi were dancing together and Lexi asked jay about his dad..
> 
> Thank you for the support on my other story.

“I win!” Lexi shouted. Callum was babysitting Lexi while Jay and Lola spent some time together and Ben was at work. He loved this little girl more than anything. Her and her father were Callum’s whole life and he knew that he would do whatever it took to keep them safe.

It wasn’t unusual for Lexi to go straight to Callum when he would come home from work or when he picked her up from school. Callum made Lexi’s daddy happy and she loved him for that. She loved all the stories he would make up some from his time as a solider. Callum never told Lexi the awful parts of being a soldier only the fun parts. In fact he didn’t even tell Ben. 

A couple of weeks ago Ben wanted to know about Callum’s life in the army so Callum told him one of the worst things that ever happened to him. Callum whisked he didn’t go into so much detail though as Ben didn’t sleep that whole night! From then on the stories were always about the laughs and friendships never the hard times.

Callum had picked Lexi up from school, got her changed and fed and was now playing monopoly with her. Callum laughed to himself as Lexi dice rolled a 6 but she moved 8 spaces claiming Callum’s house.

She was so competitive just like her father but Callum saw she was happy so didn’t say anything. As it was Callum’s turn to roll the dice his phone pinged.

One message : Ben❤️

“Heyy handsome! Gonna be stuck here a bit longer. Some one else has come in and their engine needs changing🙄. Will try and be quick as I can. Miss you it’s been hours since we seen each other😭. Love you my sexy man😉. See you soon XX.”

Callum smiled at the message. Ben and his emojis! Ben found it easier to use emojis than actually type a message but it was one of the things Callum loved about him. Callum messaged him back saying he loved him too and he would see him soon.

“Callum?” Lexi spoke bringing Callum back to reality. “Yeah princess?” He used the nickname that Lexi give him because he was her daddy.

“Where’s your mummy?” Lexi blurted out. “Erm.. what Lex?” Callum asked thinking he misheard Lexi.

“Wheres your mummy?” Lexi repeated so calmly. His mum. Truth be told Callum had always wondered where his mum was. Was she happy? Was she safe? Was she dead or alive? He didn’t know the answer to any of these questions. But she was his mum. She brought him into this world.

Callum guessed she most have loved him and Stuart at one point otherwise she would have left when Callum was born. Right?

That was why he loved the relationship Kathy had made with him. She was more of a mum to him than his biological mum was. He loved her. She always made him feel safe.

“Callum!” Lexi snapped her fingers getting his attention.

“Sorry. Darling.” What does Callum say? He can’t exactly tell his partners daughter “Oh yeah Lex. My mum left when I was little I ain’t seen her in over 20 years. Let’s keep playing.” Lexi wouldn’t understand.

Sighing, Callum began to speak “erm well you see Lex. You know how some children don’t have a mummy or daddy?” Lexi nodded her head waiting for Callum to continue.

Why was this so hard?! Callum thought.

“Well when I was born. My mummy got really poorly so she had to go to a special hospital to get help...” in Callum’s defence that wasn’t a lie really.

He remembers when she would always get into fights with his dad and just take a bottle of wine and leave. Or when she would take a special tablet to make everything stop. So he wasn’t lying to Lexi at all. He didn’t say anything else.

“Oh... Is she better now though?” Lexi asked.

“I hope so darling.” Callum said.

Lexi went back to playing the game. Callum had his head in his hands blinking furiously trying to stop the tears from rolling down his face. He didn’t want to cry in from of Lexi and scare her. “Stop it! Stop it.” He said to the voice in his head as he felt tears slide down his cheeks.

Just as he was about to get up and leave the door opened and in walked Ben. Clearly happy about something he that has happened at work. 

“Hey babe! Hey princes!” He kissed both Callum and Lexi on their heads.

“I’m just...” Callum got up and ran upstairs as quick as he can shutting the door to their bedroom behind them.

Ben sat down with a confused look. Why did Callum just run upstairs? Normally he would be happy to see him and would offer to make Ben tea or something to eat.

“Daddy.....” A small voice brought Ben out of his thoughts. He forgot for a second that Lexi was there.

“Yes baby? You ok?” Ben said moving a strand of her out of her face. Lexi looked at the table not wanting to look at her dad.

“I think I made daddy Callum sad.” Lexi admitted.

Ben was even more confused now., how could Lexi make Callum sad? She always listened to him and respected him.

“Why would you say that baby?” Ben took his daughters in his arms and placed her on his lap running his fingers through her hair.

Lexi buried her head in her fathers chest smelling his “man spray” as she called it and holding his hand. She drew little patterns on his hand.

“I asked daddy Callum about his mummy..” Lexi admitted.

Ben was about to speak but Lexi beat him to it “I just wanted to know where she was and why she wasn’t in his life. Because its not fair on daddy Callum! He hasn’t got a mummy. But me and you have! I’m sorry daddy. I didn’t mean to hurt daddy Callum.” Lexi whispered tears rolling down her face.

“Oh baby... shh.. it’s ok. Yes you shouldn’t have asked daddy Callum that. It makes him said thinking about his mummy...” Ben told her thinking back to when HE asked Callum and how Callum closed off straight away and changed the topic.

“It’s ok though. Cause daddy Callum’s got me and you and uncle jay and mummy and nanny and uncle Ian and bobby and grandpa and Sharon and auntie Louise and uncle Keanu and uncle Stuart and everyone else loves him. Ok baby?” Ben said pressing a kiss to his daughters head and holding her close.

It felt weird calling Stuart uncle Stuart, but Ben and him had got along for Callum’s sake. Callum was a quite literally Stuart’s life and Ben knew if anything happened to Callum Stuart would never forgive Ben...

“Ok daddy. I’m sorry.” Lexi said again. “Right I better go find daddy Callum. You stay here ok baby.” Lexi nodded and climbed out of her dads lap and sat back down reading a book.

Ben signed and went upstairs. He didn’t know how to approach this conversation. He and Lola would have to sit down and talk about Lexi asking Callum about his parents. It wasn’t easy to think about for Callum.

Ben stood outside his and Callum’s bedroom door. Knocking softly he spoke..

“Callum can I come in babe?” He heard a sniffle before the door unlocked. Ben opened it and stepped inside.

Callum was sat on their bed. Back away from Ben and looking at something in his hand.

Ben sat next to him and saw what he was looking at. Chris...

The man Callum fell in love with first. The man he didn’t tell how he felt and regretted it ever since.

It wasn’t unusual for Callum to be sat in their room with Chris’s picture in his hand. Ben knew that when things got to much. Callum would talk to Chris, tell him about Ben and Lexi.

He also knew that if Callum had a really bad day he would go to Chris’s grave and sit there for hours just enjoying the peace and quiet. The first time Callum had gone was in the middle of the night after a nightmare.

Ben had a heart attack when the spot next to him was empty, when he text Callum asking where he was and Callum relied “graveyard.” Ben didn’t text back. He knew Callum needed peace. He didn’t expect Callum to spend 5 hours there!

Ben would never admit this to Callum but he would rather have Callum at home talking to Chris instead of outside in the cold.

Ben was brought out of his thoughts when he felt Callum squeeze his hand. Callum looked at him. Tear stained face and red cheeks. Red raw eyes.

“Is Lex ok?” Callum asked Ben in a small voice there made him seem so much smaller. Ben looked at Callum.

“Yeah she’s fine. She’s a bit upset cause she think that she’s upset you...” Ben didn’t even get to finish.

Callum jumped up rambling “Oh no!! See this is why I don’t say anything about my childhood! Now Lex is upset with me and she’s gonna tell Lola and Lola is gonna be mad with me!! Everything’s gonna wrong! It’s not fair Ben!” Callum screamed punching the wall.

“Argh!! That hurt!” Callum whimpered.

Ben took Callum in his arms, holding him as tight as he did with Lexi not even half an hour ago.

“Shh. Shh baby it’s ok. Oh Cal baby. Everything’s gonna be ok. It’s all right don’t worry.” Ben whispered rocking Callum back and forth.

Callum eventually calmed down and looked up at Ben.

“Do you hate me?” Callum whispered. Ben was shocked! 

He loved Callum! Everyone in the square loved Callum! He always listened to them. He put other people first.

“No! Why would you think that?!” Ben asked in disbelief.

“Cause I made you Lexi upset. She calls me daddy and I made her cry...” Callum trailed off.

“Oh Cal! Lexi isn’t upset with you! She’s upset with herself. She knew she shouldn’t have asked you that question. But she’s sorry. Lexi could never be upset with you. You’re daddy Callum. The daddy with all the amazing stories about the army and about all the different places you make up in your stories. Especially Teribatha land!” Callum laughed at that.

“I’m sorry Ben. She caught me over guard. Yh I always think about mum and where she is. But I don’t like talking about it.” Callum whispered.

“It’s ok Cal. You don’t need to talk about her if you don’t want to. I’m gonna talk to Lola. We need to explain to Lexi that there’s some things you can’t ask people, but we’ll deal with it as a family. Me, you, Lex, Lola and Jay.” Ben promised placing a kiss to Callum’s head and holding him tight.

“I want to find her Ben. I don’t want Stuart to know yet and I don’t want to find her now or next week, but maybe soon in the future? She’s my mum after all. Will you help me?”

“Of course Callum!” Ben was honoured that Callum had even told him,’ let alone asked him. He would take this at Callum’s pace whatever that was it.

“We should go down. Think I need to say sorry to Lex.” Callum whispered.

Standing up Ben took Callum’s hand leading him downstairs where Lexi was waiting for them.

“Callum...” She whispered.

Callum took her in his arms and held her tight. He never had this as a child. He was determined that Lexi would have it for as long as Ben let him give it to her.

“I’m sorry.” Lexi whispered holding tightly onto Callum as he was gonna disappear from her.

“It’s ok baby girl. I was upset but I’m not now. I don’t like to talk about my mummy because it hurts to much but I’ve got you and your dad so now I’m ok.” Callum told her.

Lexi nodded. “I love you Callum. So much. More than daddy.” Lexi jokes.

“Hey!” Ben exclaimed. 

Lexi and Callum both giggled.

“Only joking daddy! I love you both so much! You’re my prince but daddy Callum’s my king.” Lexi winked at Callum. Callum laughing at her.

“Oh I’m hurt! My heart is broken Lex.” Ben pretend to cry dramatically. 

Callum passed Lexi to Ben who held her father tight and began planting kisses all over his face.

“Don’t cry daddy! I love you. My handsome prince.” Ben laughed and held his daughter rocking back and forth with her.

Callum wrapped one arm around Ben’s waist and used to other to stroke Lexi’s hair.

Callum planted a kiss on Ben’s cheek and closed his eyes enjoying his new family.

Maybe one day Callum’s mother would be in his life but for now he had the 2 most amazing people anyone could ever have...

**Author's Note:**

> This is the longest story I have ever written! I’m sorry if half doesn’t make sense. I’m on the way home after a long day in London. I hope it’s ok.  
> I know that it looks like Lexi is the bad person on this but I promise she isn’t! 
> 
> The story in my head for Callum’s mum is alcohol and drug addiction. I could be wrong but that’s just my idea.
> 
> Let me know if you would like me to write more Ballum? Thank you for the support and love on my previous story X


End file.
